Herschel space telescope ends mission
Posted: Tue, Apr 30, 2013, 7:58 AM ET (1158 GMT)
ESA's Herschel infrared space telescope formally ended its mission Monday when it exhausted its remaining supply of liquid helium coolant, the space agency announced. ESA had warned for weeks that Herschel would soon run out of liquid helium, ending operations, and telemetry from the spacecraft Monday indicated rising temperatures in instruments caused by the exhaustion of that coolant supply. Herschel, launched in May 2009, lasted longer than expected, returning 25,000 hours of observations at infrared wavelengths. Herschel had been operating at the Earth-Sun L2 point, 1.5 million kilometers from the Earth; controllers will command the spacecraft to move into a stable orbit around the Sun before shutting it down.
ESA's Herschel infrared space telescope formally ended its mission Monday when it exhausted its remaining supply of liquid helium coolant, the space agency announced. ESA had warned for weeks that Herschel would soon run out of liquid helium, ending operations, and telemetry from the spacecraft Monday indicated rising temperatures in instruments caused by the exhaustion of that coolant supply. Herschel, launched in May 2009, lasted longer than expected, returning 25,000 hours of observations at infrared wavelengths. Herschel had been operating at the Earth-Sun L2 point, 1.5 million kilometers from the Earth; controllers will command the spacecraft to move into a stable orbit around the Sun before shutting it down.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
Pentagon places head of Space Development Agency on leave for investigation
Posted: Sun, Jan 19 10:25 AM ET (1525 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Wednesday, January 22
Lonestar's moonshot: Firm aims to place data center on lunar surface
Reuters — 5:46 am ET (1046 GMT) Nelson pens letter to next NASA head as KSC’s Petro becomes interim leader
Orlando Sentinel — 5:45 am ET (1045 GMT) An alien planet has winds that blow at 33,000 kilometres per hour
New Scientist — 5:44 am ET (1044 GMT) Incredible images show the moment SpaceX's Starship exploded
New Scientist — 5:44 am ET (1044 GMT) How New NASA, India Earth Satellite NISAR Will See Earth
NASA/JPL — 5:43 am ET (1043 GMT) |
